The acclaimed 'Chronicle' director has been hired by Disney and Lucasfilm to oversee one of the upcoming standalone films that will accompany the new 'Star Wars' trilogy.

He said: ''The magic of the Star Wars Universe defined my entire childhood. The opportunity to expand on that experience for future generations is the most incredible dream of all time.''

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy added: ''We're thrilled to welcome Josh into the family. He is such an incredible talent and has a great imagination and sense of innovation. That makes him perfectly suited to 'Star Wars', and for this new slate of movies that reach beyond the core characters and storylines of Episodes I through IX.''

Disney announced it will produce several standalone 'Star Wars' films focusing on popular characters from the sci-fi franchise.

The films will be released in the intermittent years between the new 'Star Wars' trilogy films, the first of which - 'Star Wars: Episode VII' - is currently in production and being directed by J.J. Abrams.

The new trilogy will begin with 'Episode VII' next year, followed by new instalments in 2017 and 2019.

Meanwhile, the standalone films are currently scheduled for release in 2016 and 2018.

'Godzilla' director Gareth Edwards has also been hired to direct one of the spin-offs.

Trank is currently working on a reboot of superhero movie 'The Fantastic Four', which is due for release in 2015.